News

Treeplanting contractor charged with fraud, to appear in Provincial Court November 2nd

(Vancouver) November 1, 2011. Crown counsel have laid four charges under the Criminal Code against Khalid Bajwa, owner of Khaira Enterprises Ltd., for using forged documents and for fraud over $5000.  The charges relate to work that Mr. Bajwa secured for clearing brush in 2010.  Mr. Bajwa has been summoned to appear in Provincial Court in Revelstoke on November 2, 2011.

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Human Rights | News | Social Justice | Tree Planters 01 Nov 2011

Khaira workers have yet to receive a penny of their $236,000 in unpaid wages

(Vancouver) February 17, 2011. On January 17, 2011, the Employment Standards Branch (ESB) ordered Khaira Enterprises Ltd. to pay $228,687.51 to tree planters who worked for the company from March to July, 2010. An amended decision was issued on February 4, 2011 correcting the amount to $236,800.52.

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News | Social Justice 17 Feb 2011

BC Employment Standards Branch orders Khaira to pay tree planters $228,000 in unpaid wages

(Vancouver) January 25, 2011. The Employment Standards Branch (ESB) has just ordered Khaira Enterprises Ltd. to pay $228,687.51 to tree planters who worked for the company from March to July, 2010.  Khaira is a tree planting company run by Khalid Bajwa and Hardilpreet (Sunny) Sidhu.

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News | Social Justice 24 Jan 2011

BC Hydro Spin on Rate Increases Sparks Legal Complaint

Vancouver (December 14, 2010) A lawyer who represents consumers in BC Hydro regulatory proceedings launched an official complaint against BC Hydro today, over the way the Crown utility has described planned electricity rate increases in statements to the public.  Vancouver lawyer Jim Quail, Executive Director of the BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre, charges that a release issued on December 2 by Dave Cobb, the CEO of BC Hydro, violated an order by the Utilities Commission.

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BC Hydro | Consumer Rights | News 14 Dec 2010

BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre Calls for Immediate Action for Workers in BC Treeplanting Case

(Vancouver) December 9, 2010. Lawyers at the BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre (BCPIAC) are calling on the government to act quickly to remedy injustices experienced by tree planters formerly employed by Khaira Enterprises Ltd (Khaira), a tree planting company run by Khalid Bajwa and Hardilpreet (Sunny) Sidhu.

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Human Rights | News | Social Justice 09 Dec 2010

Sahotas finally pay first group of Pandora Tenants, second group still waiting for money despite win

(Vancouver) October 5, 2010. After a legal battle spanning almost three years and culminating in the BC Supreme Court, Gurdyal Singh Sahota has finally paid 36 tenants damage awards totaling nearly $170,000. The tenants lived at 2131 Pandora St. in East Vancouver, a building owned and operated by the Sahota family who also own the Cobalt and Astoria hotels. The building flooded in October 2007 and the tenants were permanently evacuated after the City of Vancouver ordered it closed.

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News | Organizational | Social Justice 05 Oct 2010

DUMB METERS: How Gordon Campbell Wants You to Squander a Billion Dollars

by Jim Quail, Executive Director

The wheels are spinning in high gear selling us the dumbest single scheme the Premier’s Office has come up with so far for BC Hydro.  They want us to buy a billion-dollar plan to hang hi-tech meters on every home in the province.  All by itself, this would add about 8.3% to every household’s electricity bill, even taking account of off-setting savings like meter-reading.

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BC Hydro | Consumer Rights | News 18 Jun 2010

Inquest to begin Monday into the deaths of 3 farm workers in March, 2007 on Highway 1 near Abbotsford

December 4, 2009 (Vancouver) Amarjit Kaur Bal, Sukhwinder Kaur Punia, and Sarabjit Kaur Sidhu died on March 7, 2007, when an overloaded van with no seat belts and an untrained driver went out of control and overturned on Highway 1 near Abbotsford.  The van, which was operated by RHA Enterprises Ltd. of Abbotsford, a farm labour contractor, was also carrying 13 other workers, many of whom were seriously injured.  An inquest into the three deaths will be held at the Coroner’s Courtroom, 20th Floor, Metrotower II, 4720 Kingsway, Burnaby, beginning at 9:30 on Monday, December 7th.  It is scheduled to conclude on Thursday, December 10.

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Farmworkers Rights | News | Social Justice 07 Dec 2009

Legal Services Society of BC shuts doors to legal aid

Professional Employees Association Press Release

Vancouver, November 3, 2009 – Earlier today, staff at the Legal Services Society were notified that the LawLINE, the Community Advocate Support Line, and all but one of the regional legal aid offices will shut down as of March 2010.

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News | Social Justice 04 Nov 2009

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